PayPal Donation Form is Back: We could use a little love...

Hello ATS benefactors. February has been a particularly cruel month for independent online publishers; a marked decline in ads combined with the ever-increasing threat of ad blockers. We’re doing our best to weather this difficult storm, and as you know, we’ve been working extra-hard to bring in quality content and interesting guests to make being an ATS member a special experience. Without your help, surviving this brief stumble will be hard. With your help, we can get past this and start building strategies to make sure it never happens again.

In this round of donations, anyone donating $100 or more will be added to a private list of “ATS Benefactors” who will receive special access to a private forum dedicated to brainstorming on new ideas, technology, strategies, content, etc. for keeping ATS strong and moving forward. If you want to be part of that, make sure you indicate your ATS username in the PayPal comments.

Thank you, and understand the painful decisions behind creating this post and request.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

I will donate in a few min! No problem. You do a lot to keep your amazing site up for us.

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

I understand your reasoning and the incentive for those who go above $100 but what about those who cannot contribute that amount at this time?

I am guessing you will have people crying of "eliteist!!"

Maybe you could offer the ocasional entry to the $100 club for the best thread of the month or lifetime achivement status?

Just a thought as I know how people can get rattled when they feel they are excluded for financial reasons.

Good luck, will chuck in a few quid but not yet and not £60 right now.

originally posted by: Quantum12
a reply to: SkepticOverlord

I will donate in a few min! No problem. You do a lot to keep your amazing site up for us.

You da real MVP!

Done! can we have mutter or chat back
Keep ATS alive and social!

If I donate $100 can I get a coffee mug or something?

huh?
HUH?

lol Just kidding, Bill. When I gain employment again, you shall receive my special "elitist" donation.

Thanks for keeping this site a great place. It's worth it.

Any alternatives? I'm one of the millions boycotting Paypal.

a reply to: jjkenobi

It looks like there are other options such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.

a reply to: havok
I would actually LOVE if they brought the ATS store back. I need an ATS mug for my desk!

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

is it anonymous ?

originally posted by: Martin75
a reply to: havok
I would actually LOVE if they brought the ATS store back. I need an ATS mug for my desk!

I offered last time to tender for the European Tshirt distribution but no one ever got back to me...

Nudge nudge....

I would buy an ATS mug for sure.

originally posted by: Martin75
I would actually LOVE if they brought the ATS store back.

We're looking into it. The real problem with the available on-demand stores is that the default prices (before markup) are already close to what one would be willing to pay. So even if we made an awesome hoodie for $35.00, our profit one each sale would be less than $2.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

originally posted by: Martin75
I would actually LOVE if they brought the ATS store back.

We're looking into it. The real problem with the available on-demand stores is that the default prices (before markup) are already close to what one would be willing to pay. So even if we made an awesome hoodie for $35.00, our profit one each sale would be less than $2.

I could find you a supplier in the US and the UK that could dropship for more profit than that I think...

originally posted by: nonspecific
I could find you a supplier in the US and the UK that could dropship for more profit than that I think...

The issue there is that we'd need to invest up-front in a quantity of items. Not something that's really viable unless we know something will sell like vodka snow-cones at burning man.

a reply to: Mannegishi

Watcha Hiding?

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

You should consider Teespring...

teespring.com...

Every so often you should design a nice ATS branded item, start a Teespring campaign, and notify the users that it would help keep the site alive to purchase one of the items. It also would help spread the word that ATS even exists when people where their ATS tee-shirts in public, etc..

No need for the old-school method of investing in product and hoping you sell them all.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

originally posted by: nonspecific
I could find you a supplier in the US and the UK that could dropship for more profit than that I think...

The issue there is that we'd need to invest up-front in a quantity of items. Not something that's really viable unless we know something will sell like vodka snow-cones at burning man.

Why not look for an independent dropshipper then as opposed to bulk buying and storage or one of the mainstream make as you go sites?

PM me, not really the place for this kind of talk.

I truly enjoy ATS and feel a donation is in order. It is good for you to ask occasionally as it is not always on the radar. Is there a possibility to show some type of contribution meter? Not identifying whom donated but running total. Not a deal breaker - I'm just nosey that way. a reply to: SkepticOverlord

a reply to: SkepticOverlord

I couldn't donate $100 right now, but I did donate $25. My mortgage and auto loan gets automatically drafted from the bank account linked to my PayPal. I reckon it's better than nothing. Take care, and thanks for keeping this site afloat.